Reprinted with permission from Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration by Christina Ward, copyright © 2017. Published by Process Media.
CHERRY PIE FILLING
Total Preparation Time: 3 hours
Special Equipment: ClearJel
How Long Before Use: 1 day
Headspace: 2 inches
Process time: 25 minutes
Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce
Yield: 6–8 32-ounce jars
Note: This recipe requires ClearJel. ClearJel expands in volume during the canning process; keeping as close to the 2-inch headspace measurement is critical.
INGREDIENTS
- 24 cups fresh or frozen (thoroughly thawed) cherries
- 2 cups ClearJel
- 6 cups sugar
- 7 cups cold water OR mix of cold water and cherry juice
- 1 cup lemon juice
Step One: Wash and pit cherries. Set aside in bowl filled with cold water and lemon juice. (1/4 cup lemon juice to 1 quart water.)
Step Two: In a large stockpot, mix water/juice, sugar, and ClearJel. Stir with whisk to fully integrate the dry items.
Step Three: Begin to heat over medium flame. Stir often as the mixture will begin to thicken and potentially scorch before it boils. Add the lemon juice. Boil for 1 minute while constantly stirring with whisk. (The slurry should take on a glossy and clear sheen.) Remove from heat.
Step Four: With a large rubber spatula, mix in drained cherries.
Step Five: Fill jars. Stir mixture after every few jars to keep the fruit-to-slurry mixture in balance. Remove air bubbles from jars.
Step Six: Put on lids and process.
Variations: The ratio of liquid to sugar to ClearJel to Fruit remains the same for all berry-based pie fillings. If you’d like to add spices, use 2 teaspoons dry or 3 teaspoons liquid.
As noted in other recipes, changing the sugar from white to brown gives the pie filling a caramelly taste.
Cherry with almond extract
Use 3 cups of lime juice and lime zest in the slurry for Cherry Lime Pie
Step-by-Step Review of the Canning Process
1. Clean and prep jars by washing with very hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly in hot water. Do not dry. Immediately use OR instead of hand-washing, run jars in a dishwasher on sanitize cycle.
2. Place lids into boiling hot water. This softens or ‘activates’ the rubber edge on the lid.
3. Pour food into hot, drained jars. Leave correct headspace as directed in the recipe. Headspace is the air left between the jelly and the rim of the jar, necessary to set the seal.
4. Carefully wipe rims of jars to remove drips. Place lids on jars.
5. Place bands on jars and “finger tighten.” As soon as you feel the natural resistance of the band on the jar when turning, stop.
6. Place jars into boiling water processor. Or Atmospheric / Steam Canner. Jars should be on the rack and not touching the bottom of the canning pot.
7. Process for the time listed in the recipe. Timing begins when the water in the canner is at a full boil. Or when steam is venting from holes in the lid of Atmospheric / Steam Canner.
8. Remove jars from canner. Place jars on flat counter/table surface and let them cool 24 hours.
